Memorial Day 2012

WE MUST NEVER FORGET THE SACRIFICE FOR OUR FREEDOM.

Just a Little Church Rant

Please forgive me in advance for this little rant.  I have set on this for a couple of days and it still is bothering me.

Sunday at Mass I was distracted.  Here are some of the things that distracted me:

• The ADHD father and son next to me.  Fidgeting and talking continuously
• The ladies in the front who talk during the Rosary, Mass, after communion, etc
• The couple in front of me talking to the people in front of them during the petitions
• The individuals that feel the need during the Sign of Peace to walk around the Church to all their friends
• The individuals that don't sing.  If God gave you a bad singing voice give it back to Him!
• The Eucharistic Minister that will NOT distribute Communion any place put next to the priest 

In reality none of these things should have distracted me.  I am not a Saint, I can only hope to be a Saint in the making.  I should not be at Mass to watch those individuals around me.  My focus should be on The Sacrifice of the Mass.

Even though I know where my focus should be I am easily distracted and then I get irritated and then I realize that I and only I did NOT really attend Mass.  Instead I chose to pay more attention to the distractions, not the Sacrifice.

What can I say?  I will try harder, but Lord could you at least drop those other people a nudge?  Thanks in advance.

Love,
Cindy

The Boat Is For Sale

Well the day has come, we have put the boat up for sale.  Talking to other cruisers in the marina it appears that we are not alone.

It also appears that there is an evolution in cruising.  Most, but not all start out in a mono-hull and then move to a multi-hull.  Some go even further and move to a Trawler!  Not us we are doing the new evolution and we are not alone.  Boat to RV!

There are similarities to boating and RVing.  12 volt systems, you can be on or off the grid as much as you want.  You tend to be independent, living in water or dirt groups, potlucks are a staple and everyone has stories.

I will miss the boat in ways that I never thought I would  here are some of the things I will miss:

• sleeping with the waves rocking me to sleep
• the great counter space in my galley
• watching the sunrise and set from my cockpit
• watching the stars move across the sky via the hatch over my bed
• the endless ease dropping on conversations via the VHF radio
• being the only boat in an anchorage
• sharing an anchorage with another boat
• being the first in the anchorage so that we can watch the show and not be the show
• grocery shopping by dinghy
• dolphins!
• snorkeling off the back of the boat
• Happy Hour at anchor
• the horizon that meets the sea offshore
• the sails full of wind and the sound of the water slipping under us
• the SSB net
• being alone on the ocean
• the International community

It has been a good run and now it is time for someone else to enjoy Dragonheart.  I know that Dragonheart is just waiting for someone to take her out to the big blue and let her dance again in the wind and waves.  That is where she is happiest.

  Oh, I how I wish I could dance with her forever!